An Introduction to Korean Shamanism and Fortune Telling Document 1

Document 1
AN INTRODUCTION TO KOREAN SHAMANISM AND FORTUNE-TELLING

Through the mists of Korea's five millennia, the traditional folk practices of Shamanism have endured. The

ancient devotion to Buddhism, five hundred years of Confucianism, and a century of Christianity have not

eradicated Shamanism's impact upon Korean culture. In Korea, Shamanism is defined as a "traditional natural

religious phenomenon in which the shaman possessing the special skill of trance-possession communicates

with the supernatural world and by means of this supernatural power is able to fulfill the needs in

human life including the telling of fortunes" (Chang Soo-Kyung). Shamans serve "to invoke the gods and

ancestors, speak with their voice, and claim their power to interpret dreams and visions" (Laurel Kendall).

Shamanism among world civilizations is not unique. In the United States, Native Americans have called

upon their medicine men, and in West Africa priests summon the spirits of ancestors. Korean shamans are

predominantly female, although a few males know as paksu also practice. Korea's turbulent history explains

why Shamanism remained a powerful influence. The Korean peninsula has experienced wars, natural disasters,

and authoritarian rule producing a sense of insecurity. The folk religion of Shamanism became a reliable

guide for interpreting daily life. Shaman beliefs enable Koreans to cure diseases, obtain good fortune,

avoid calamities, and perhaps gain financial success.

Shamanism or Muism also incorporated "the legends, folktales, and myths of Korea's historical heroes and

transmitted [them] through oral tradition" (Chang Soo-Kyung). God status was conferred upon natural objects

and individuals. Among these were Tan'gun, the legendary father of Korea in 2333 BCE, and monarchs of the

Three Kingdoms Period (Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche kingdoms, 57 BCE-688 CE). Noted generals—Kim Yoo

Shin, Ch'oe Yong, Lim Kyung-Up, and Nam Yee—became immortal. Koreans developed a strong sense of unity

and community as a result. During one period (Silla) shaman kings existed and exercised powerful roles.

An individual becomes a mudang by receiving a spirit, then presiding at a religious ceremony—a kut—while

singing and dancing to a special rhythm and beat. Performing a kut requires a master mudang, dressed in a

brightly colored costume, and her musician assistants. One musician plays the changgo (drums), and others

may perform on the chengum (cymbals) or ching (small brass gong). The mudang may conduct several different

types of private and public rituals:

1. Family Ritual. An individual celebration is held at a person's home. Prayers/ceremonies for the

family are conducted concerning, for example, child rearing, healthy birth, and protection

against an evil spirit.

2. Village Ritual. The entire village participates in seeking protection against evil or for a bountiful

harvest. In addition to such a ritual, jangseun (totem poles) constructed from timber protect villages

from ghosts and evil spirits. Usually two carved figures—male and female— stand at

entrances to the villages.

Mudang who have entered a trance first invoke the god(s), who is then entertained. A prayer is made for the

specific purpose of the ritual, and the god is given a farewell.

Today in industrialized modern Korea, Shamanism persists even among skeptical intellectuals, university students,

and physicians. It coexists among Koreans who proclaim themselves to be practicing Buddhists and

Christians (Catholics and Protestants—mainly Presbyterians). It has been argued that both Buddhism and

Christianity have absorbed many Shamanistic folk ideas, thus ensuring the continuance of Korea's indigenous

religion.